Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Oskar Blues Brewery - Gubna Imperial IPA

Please, Gubna, I want some more.

My lovely stepdaughter gave me a whole slew of tasty craft brews for Fathers Day. What a great kid, always thinking about her dear old Steppops. Most of my off-spring failed to get me any kind of gift at all. Yeah, that's what happens. As soon as they're out of the house, they forget all about dumb ol' dad. Cue Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle".

Well, before I break out all maudlin on ya, I better get on with the beer review. The beer of the evening is Oskar Blues Brewery's Gubna Imperial IPA. It boasts a healthy ABV of 10% and 100 IBU's. I was expecting a heavy hitting hop bomb.

The beer poured from 12 oz. can into my glass a slightly hazy, golden amber color with a creamy white head. The head came up to a full finger thick and dissipated slowly. Loads of webby lacing was left behind on the glass.

Aroma was big on pine and citrus hops. A bit of sweet malt smell in the background. Hints of tropical fruit.

Taste gave a nice bitter sock to the jaw right up front. A good sting to the salivary glands, but not too extreme. Indistinct citrus and tropical fruit. A earthy malt flavor remained on the palate after the initial bitterness faded. The sweet malt provided a great balance to the bitter hops. Not too bitter, not too sweet.

Medium to slightly full mouthfeel. There was a bit of a chewy body to this one. Low carbonation. There was just a bit of an alcohol bite to this brew right at the end, but it was barely noticeable.

I really like this IIPA. Definitely a beer I would drink again in a heartbeat. Merry the Wonder Beagle drooled up a storm and stared at me the entire time I was drinking it. I'm giving Gubna a BeerGuyPDX rating of 3 1/2 crushed cans out of 4 AND a Droolie.

AWARDS!

About Me

Everybody needs a hobby, mine is drinking craft beer. When I'm not at work, you can find me on my deck, sipping on a cold one and manning my Weber Kettle. I love my wife, my kids and my dog, Merry the Wonder Beagle. I also love my adopted home, Portland, Oregon, the best damn beer city in these United States or anywhere else.